St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-18
BUFFALO HUNTING.
Col. Lounsberry Tells an Interest
ing Story About BisOns.

ing Story About BisOns.
To the Editor of the Globe:
DULUTH. Mimi, June III notice
your Washington correspondent, usually
correct and always well informed, has
been amusing himself and interesting,
no doubt, your readers by giving an ac-
count of an old-time buffalo hunt, in
which W. E. Curtis, then managing ed
itor of the Inter-Ocean, and myself,
then of the Bismarck Tribune, were in
terested. write not for the purpose
OF correcting statements attributed to
myself or to Mr.. Curtis, but in the
hope of throwing some further light on
to the buffalo question in general. In
1872, only fifteen years ago, the North
ern Pacific railroad having been COM
pleted to the Red river, was being eX-
tended across the plains of Dakota to-
ward the Missouri river. Northern Da-
k0ta was then an unbroken wilderness
of prairie. There were Indian and mil
tory, and the trail made by
Col. Fisk's party on its way
to Montana, which strikes the
river near Fort Stevenson, and the trail
made by the Sibley expedition in 1863
following the Indian war of 1862, when
the last battle of the war was fought
near BiSmarck-were plainly visible.
Indeed, the rifle pits made by Sibley'S
command on the plateau north of Apple
creek, just south of Bismarck, and the
open grave from which the remains of
Lieut.. Beaver were removed, are
still plainly marked. Buffalo paths
leading from the plains to the
river, as to the flow green valleys"
where an abundance of nutritious
grasses were always found, no matter
how drouthy the season might be, We're
to be found in all parts of the North,
but more especially in the Missouri
slope, which embraces the counties of
Burleigh, EnmonS, McLeOn, Morton,
Oliver, Mercer, etc. The valleys were
StreWn with the bones of the buffalo. A
few years ago when the demand for buff
fal0 bones, to be used in refining and for
fertiliZing. PURPOSES, was transferred
from the Southwest tethe northwest, |
caused the bones of a single carcass to
be weighed. and from that estimated
the number of animals represented in
the aggregate weight of bones.- and
found that over $4,000 animals were rep
resented in the bones shipped that year
from Burleigh county alone. This gave
some idea as to the, value of that cOun-
tIE 1OI cdttie SIOWiiS,, Luz IHcSc dlIDidlS
are very much like cattle in their neceS-
sites, and they lived and grew fat in
both winter and summer on the nutri-
tiouS grasses of this region. Preceding
the final skirmiSh with the Indians di-
rectly in front of Fort A. Lincoln, there
was the battle of White Stone hills.
The camp equipage of the Indians was
captured and with the outfit many
tons of buffalo meat. This was burned,
the travels poles, tent canvas and skins,
and the fat of the animals causing heat
so intense that streams of fat run
from the burning mass Of buffalo meat.
Thousands Of the animals were slain
for their hides alone by white hunters
and trappers, but by the Indians the
best portions of the animals were saved
for food. In either case the bones re-
NAMED where the animals fell. in 1872
but few buffalo remained in Dakota
along the line of the Northern Pacific
railroad, yet in 1878 buffalo was killed
within the present city limits of Bis
marck. now the capital of Dakota, and
the head OF this animal, mounted in
the highest style of the taXidermist's
art, is still displayed in the store of
Robert Macuider at Bismarck. That
year, and for two or three years follow
ing, steamboats, on the Missouri river
were sometimes blOckaded by herds of
buffalo crossing the stream i'll front of
of them. In the fall they were slaugh-
tered by the thousand for their skins
alone, or for sport. One firm, L. S.
Powers Il Co., of Fort Benton. shipped
l have seen train load-twenty cars,
OF Observation-Disclosures with their pelts,
and probably an acre of ground covered
with bales of skins of these and other
animals. It must have been as late as
1880 that | accepted the invitation of
W. Ct. Curtis to accompany him on
buffalo hunt Oh the plains of Montana.
We proceeded to Glendive, and through
the courtesy of Maj Bell, of the Seventh
United States cavalry, were furnished
with guns, teams, and an escort, and
proceeded due north from Glendive.
We started at a. NJ, and must have
travelled twenty-five or thirty miles, for
it.waS after noon when we came upon
herd of at least 4,000 buffalo. They were
scattered along a beautiful valley for a
distance of two or three miles, The day
was bright and hot and slight haze
hung about the animals in the distance.
1t was one of the grandeSt sights | ever
witnessed. | could think of nothing
more interesting, although / was re-
minded of views | had had when on a
scouting expedition of hostile army in
camp lying equally satisfied and un-
suspeeting.
We approached them under cover as
much as possible, and finally, leaving
our coats in the wagon, the horses were
unhitched and mounted by the light
| weights of the party. There were two
led horses and two or three of the party
were on horseback from the start. Cur
I ho IN roll np fhor
conquer, and being too fat to make the
charge on horseback, were allowed to
crawl upon the herd under cover of the
creek. We got to within about
eighty rods of them and both
fired. The dust few from at
least one Of their hides, but the whole
herd stampeded. The mounted men of
the party rushed in upon them. and
seven were killed. The herd was
broken, and Curtis followed one section
hoping to get another shot and an
other.
A party of fine buffalo seemed to
be about as fat and lame as | was.
These l followed, getting a shot oc-
casionally but without effect, until /
could travel no longer. | gave ND the
chase only to find was lost. Lost on the
prairie, coatless, dinnerlesS, matchless.
surrounded by plains, barren hills, with
none but alkali water in sight.
sought high point and trained my eye
toreach out for far away objects. As I
anticipated it was discovered that was
lost and search was made. About 5
O'Clock Curtis was seen In the distance.
He carried high in the air bottle of
brandy in one hand and bottle of beer
i'll the other, by his side canteen of
water. do not know which was tackled
first. There was little left in either
in two minutes after our meeting,
lay on the battle field bleeding to death
once. would have given worlds then,
had worlds to give, for single drop